1. Technical Field
The invention relates to the technical field of efficiently handling hierarchical application data. More particularly, the invention relates to a storage concept that allows the memory-efficient provision of application data for processes such as transportation path optimization mechanisms.
2. Background Information
Hierarchical application data is processed in a variety of different contexts. As an example the generation of transportation models for computer-implemented processing tasks such as transportation path optimization can be mentioned.
Such transportation models help to solve problems relating to the transportation of tangible and intangible objects. Tangible objects such as fluids have to be transported via complex pipeline systems. Goods such as construction material require transportation between remote geographical places across a network of ground, air and sea ways. Intangible objects like electrical signals have to be transported for example within the highly complex wiring system in an airplane. Other intangible objects such as information in the form of electronic mails is sent across the World Wide Web via a plurality of intermediary routers.
Transportation paths have to be planned taking into account prevailing transportation constraints (such as network bandwidth, pipeline diameter, availability of transportation links, of transportation means, and of transportation hubs, etc.). Transportation information such as data pertaining to individual transportation service providers may be associated with the transportation constraints to generate transportation associations. Based, inter alia, on the transportation constraints and transportation associations, transportation paths can be optimized. Such an optimization usually aims at saving resources (e.g., at reducing the number of intermediary components involved in a particular transportation task, at reducing transportation duration, etc.).
In order to deal with complex transportation data, a representation of the transportation data in well-organized hierarchical data structures is desirable. Such hierarchical data structures usually include two or more hierarchy levels. On the lowest level for example, individual transportation states may be defined by means of coordinate sets, individual Internet protocol (IP) addresses or ZIP codes. On a higher level, (aggregated) transportation states that include zero, one or more transportation states of lower levels may exist. Such aggregated transportation states may stretch over a range of coordinates or over a set of IP addresses or over a ZIP code range. Path optimization mechanisms calculate an optimum path from a source state to a destination state via a plurality of intermediary states. These calculations are typically based on assignments of transportation constraints and transportation associations to individual transportation states and to transportation lanes connecting two transportation states.
Taking into account that thousands of transportation states can be defined, it becomes evident that calculation time and memory usage are critical parameters of any process that acts on transportation models or any other data assignments with an inherent hierarchical structure. Accordingly, there is a need for a technique that allows a flexible and memory-efficient provision of application data assignments.